News Roundup 05 July 2022
Jul 05, 2022 • 5 min Read
NBI: High-profile inmates ‘gradually disappeared’ from Bilibid’s isolation facility | INQUIRER.NET – High-profile inmates infected with COVID-19 who were supposed to be moved to a “comfortable isolation room” had “gradually disappeared” from the New Bilibid Prison’s Building 4 or Site Harry. The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) revealed this and said that – quoting witnesses – inmates disappeared from isolation facility Site Harry after disclosing they would be relocated “to the ‘comfortable’ isolation room.” Witnesses also said that aside from that, they did not observe anything unusual inside the isolation facility even when either curtains or plywood only separated their rooms, the NBI added. Site Harry is a quarantine facility set up with the assistance of the Department of Health and the International Committee of the Red Cross inside the national penitentiary to serve as an isolation site for inmates and jail personnel who tested positive for the coronavirus. “The only irregular observation they made was their co-PsDL (Persons Deprived of Liberty) gradually disappeared from Building 4 after they had revealed that they were to be transferred to the ‘comfortable’ isolation room,” the NBI said in a complaint filed against 22 members of the National Capital Region Office (NCRPO). A murder complaint was filed last Friday, July 1, for the death of eight inmates who died from May to June 2020. The police officers allegedly used COVID-19 to cover up the real cause of their death. In the complaint, the inmates were identified as Francis Go, who died May 28, 2020; Shuli Zhang, who died May 30, 2020; Hung Kin Sing aka Jimmy Ang, who died on June 1, 2020; Eugene Ho Chua and Benjamin Marcelo, who both died on June 2, 2020; Pasig shabu tiangge operator Amin Imam Boratong, who died on June 5, 2020; Sherwin Sanchez, who died on June 14, 2020; and Willy Yang, who died on June 17, 2020. These inmates were convicted for their involvement in illegal drugs, the NBI said. “All the deceased PsDL were declared dead on arrival, the cause of death either by cardiac or pulmonary arrest. However, a close examination of the medical profile of the deceased high-profile PsDL generally revealed that days before they died, they exhibited neither chronic symptoms of Covid-19, including difficulty in breathing or shortness of breath, nor were they observed to be weak or particularly ill,” the NBI said in the complaint submitted to the Department of Justice. The NBI added that: “Witnesses had seen them to be well, normal, or lively.” The NBI said the suspects took advantage of the fact that the victims were at an isolated facility due to COVID-19. “They availed the situation that in case of COVID-19 cases, cadavers should immediately be cremated. Cremation, for this case, was the final act to consummate and effectively cover up the scheme to kill the victims,” the NBI said.
7 soldiers wounded in Northern Samar town landmine blast | INQUIRER.NET – Seven soldiers were wounded following an ambush by suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Mapanas town, Northern Samar, on Tuesday. Based on the investigation, the soldiers – all members of the Alpha Company 20th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army – were on their way to their immersion camp in Barangay Magsaysay at 6:15 a.m. when they stepped on landmines set up by communist rebels. Authorities declined to identify the wounded soldiers as their families had yet to be informed. The seven soldiers were airlifted and brought to a health facility for treatment while government forces conducted a hot pursuit operation to arrest the rebels, said Col. Perfecto Peñaredondo, commander of the 803rd Brigade of the Philippine Army based in Catarman. Peñaredondo, in a press conference, said the landmines were reportedly planted by the Front Committee 15 of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army under Kumander “Tara.” Based on the information they gathered, Peñaredondo said the rebels have been extorting money ranging from P2,500 to P3,000 from barangay officials in Mapanas town on a monthly basis and set a quota of P20 and 1 cup of rice from the residents.
US trains DENR, BFAR in underwater crime scene investigation, law enforcement | PHILSTAR.COM – The United States trained government partners in the Philippines in investigating underwater crime scene and enforcing laws, its embassy in Manila said Tuesday. Twenty-seven representatives from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources participated in the Sustainable Interventions for Biodiversity, Oceans, and Landscapes (SIBOL) project of the US Agency for International Development. The training focused on environmental law enforcement issues like coral reef crime scene investigation, marine wildlife crime forensics, oil spills, and marine and coastal pollution. According to the US Embassy, the training supports the country’s national action plan for addressing wildlife crimes and its goals of strengthening law enforcement to conserve threatened species and reduce biodiversity threats. “The rich bounty that the Philippines is blessed with comes with a responsibility of conserving these resources in a way that is sustainable and regenerative,” USAID Acting Environment Office Director Dr. John Piggot said. “We hope that this activity will lead to increased cooperation among enforcement agencies on coral reef-related cases, enhancement of existing local training modules on reef protection, and development of local policy and protocols on coral reef-related investigations,” he added. The Philippines is located at the apex of the Coral Triangle, which is home to 76% of the world’s coral species. However, climate change and human activities such as destructive fishing, coastal development, and pollution have taken a heavy toll on the country’s coral reefs.
